Improvement in safe-locks



UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

IMPROVEMENTI IN SAFE-LOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 56,790, dated July 3l, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ALFRED A. OAT,V of the city ot' Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Safe-Locks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and

exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying two sheets of drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a plan view of the inner side of the cap-plate of the lock improved, showing attached thereto the first series'of certain interlocking spring-slides and a central plug; Fig. 2, a sectional plan view of the outer side of the said capplate and central plug 5 Fig. 3, a plan view of the upper side of the second or interior plate of the lock and Fig. 4, a sectional plan view of the under side of the same, showing together the second series of spring-slides and another central plug Fi g. 5, a plan view of the bottom plate of the said lock and its sides, showing the four main bolts of the lock as projecting from the said sides thereof and a central sliding plug, whereby the said bolts can be retracted; Fig. 6, an elevation showing the inner side of one of the four springstops of the said main bolts detached from the lock, Fig. 7, a vertical transverse section of the whole lock cut on the dotted lines w x y z, respectively, of Figs. l, 3, et, and 5, with Fig. 6 in place; and Fig. 8, a side elevation of the bolt-retracting lever as applied to the central sliding plug of the bottom plate for the purpose of raising the said plug and thus retracting the main bolts ot' the lock, the side of the case being shown in the gure as cut away for the purpose of exposure, like letters and numbers of reference indicating the same parts when in the dierent figures.

My improvement relates to a certain lock for which an application by me was led in the Patent Office on the 9th day of March, 1852, and subsequently withdrawn; and the object of my present improvementis to remedy the defects of the said lock in such a manner as to produce a lock for a re-proof or other safe that will be entirely effective as such, and

y that cannot be penetrated either for picking` l or exploding.

My invention consists, substantiallyas hereinafter described, in the peculiar construction,

arrangement, and combination of certain additional interlocking Aspring-slides for holding and releasing the detachable central plugs, and the spring-stops ot' the main bolts for the purpose of reducing the entrance to the lock to a single opening stopped by plugs, which cannot be removed without first making a series of certain numerous secret movements of the said spring-slides, of which the outer end surfaces only are visible and tangible only at the distant projecting edges of the raised or oft'- set panel of the door of the safe to which the said lock may be applied.

In the drawings, the series of spring-slides are indicated by the numbers thereon, from l to 204 inclusive, A A AA being the four sides of the case of the lock, B the cap-plate, G the interior or middle plate, and D the bottom plate, thereof; l 2', the detachable central plugs; E E E E,.the four main bolts of the lock; o, the retracting-plug of the four bolts E; and F F F the springstops for each of the said four main bolts.

Each of the four bolts E is made in one solid piece, slotted at its outer end so as, to 'produce the three separate projections e e e', which slide through the side A of the case, and also cut away at its inner end, so as to leave a breast, c2, and two sides, c3 c3, and also two cylindrical stems, c4 e4, around which latter spiral springs e5 are placed so as toV bear against the piece G, (which is slotted and mortised for the plug 0 and iiXed permanently in the center of the bottom plate, 1),) and thus force the four bolts E outward. (Sec Figs. 5 and 7.) Each of the said bolts E is connected with the retractingplug o by means of a chain, E, and the said plug o has an undercut groove, o', made across in its upper end, whereby an attachment of the retracting-lever I (see Fig. 8) canlbe'readily made for the purpose of elevating or drawing forward the plug, and thus retractin g the bolts at once against the pressure ot their springs c5.. Each chain H is kept in position in the meantime by means of a bearing or pulley, g', acting thereon near the retracttng-plug. (See Figs. 5 and 7.)

Attached to the inner sides of' the sides A and directly over the bolts E are four small caps, f2 f2 f2 f2, Within each of which is a spring-slide, f3, (see Fig. 6,) which has on its lower side the three stops F F F, which are forced by the said springslide f3 into corresponding holes in the bolts E, so as to hold them fast, either when the said bolts are retractedaso as to be iush with the outside of the case or when forced out by their springs, as shown in the drawings. Attached to each of the sides f3 is a short chain, f4, which passes over a spring pulley-bearing, f5, and connects with a block, K, which lies loosely in a groove or between guides formed on the ripper side of the middle plate, C. (See Figs. 3 and 7.) The middle plate, G, rests upon the central support, G, and the four corner supports a', the plug 1l itting in its center. (See Figs. 3, 4, 7.) rlhe under side of. the plug 1l has a projection which enters and fills the straight groove o in the retracting-plug o, and has also a recess in three of its sides, (see the dotted lines,) which admit the respective ends of a rack-bolt, J, and two spring-bolts, J/ J, attached to the under or back side of the plate C. (See Fig. 4.) rlhe ends of the two bolts J J are forced into their respective recesses in the plug 1l by means ofthe spiral springs i2 jz, and out of the same by means of a cam, j, which is xed on an arbor which passes through the plate C, and is fixed in the slotted arm m, which connects with and is operated by the spring-slide 2() on the front side of the said plate U. The pinion j* is fixed to a sleeve on the arbor of the cam js, and gears into the teeth of the rack-bolt J. The sleeve is fixed to an arnnm', which connects it to the slide 19, which operates it to withdraw the rack-bolt J from the plug 1l against the action of the spring j", which tends to keep it in connection with the said plug, and thus prevent the withdrawal of the latter. (See Figs. 3 and 4.)

The several spring-slides which are attached to the inner side of the cap-plate B are secured to move only in longitudinal directions parallel with the said plate, and with their outer ends fitting in slots cut transversely in the raised edges of the same, for the purpose of guiding them steadily in place and of admitting of their being operated upon in the manner here inafter described. (See Fig. l.) Each slide is fitted with a spiral spring so applied and abutted as to constantly tend to force its shoulder, made thereon for the purpose, against a stop formed by one of the crossing slides, in such relation to each other as will permit the outer end of the moving slide to come iiush with its respective outside of the case of the lock, as shown in Figs. 1 and 7, or flush with the edge of the panel of the door of the safe to which the lock may be applied, substantially as indicated by the faint lines in Fig. 7. Each of the said slides is also provided with a short hooked projection, or with corresponding slots, or with both, as its functions mayV require, (see Fig. 1,) for the purpose of causing one slide to` hold another securely with its outer end ush with the side of the lock or edge of the door of the safe, as the case may be, or, in like manner, to hold it back, as occasion may require, in the operations hereinafter described of opening and closing the lock.

On examining the positions and connectings of the said spring-slides in Fig. 1, it will be seen that the ush plug 2 is securely held in its position in the plate B by means of the inner ends of the four slides 4 10 14 17, which enter mortises in the said plug, and consequently, before the said plug 2 can be withdrawn, the said four slides must be withdrawn therefrom, and the explanation as to how this is to be accomplished will be found in the following description of the operation of opening and closing the lock.

The several plates B C D, with the sides A of the lock, being securely fastened together in proper relation to each other, as shown in Fig. 7, and applied to a safe-door and the safe locked, substantially as indicated in the figure, each slide being also visibly'numbered from 1 to 20, inclusive, thev operator takes a small blunt-pointed iron stem, fixed in a handle, like anl awl, (a common board-nail will answer,) and with one hand he presses slide 1 inward, thus releasing slide 3, when with the other hand and instrument he presses slide 3 inward, and then lets slide 1 go or spring out to its normal position, which, in so springing out, causes its hook to enter the first notch in slide 3, and thus hold the latter back and release slide 12; and, continuing a like operation, he presses in slide 12, then slide 14, andl then lets slide 12 go; then presses in slides 9 and 6 in succession, and lets slide 9 go; 8 and 4, and lets S go; 1() and 9, and lets 9 go; and inally he presses in 17 and 1 in succession, and lets 1 go. lu this manner the ush plug 2 is released. He now applies the magnet (which is attached to the retracting-lever I, see Fig. 8) to the said plug and easily withdraws it from the lock.

The next thing to be accomplished is the withdrawal of plug No. 1 and all the springstops F, which fix the four main bolts E in their projected or locking position, and these results are effected in the following manner, viz: rI he operator presses in slides 2 and 5 in succession, then lets 2 go; presses in 7 and 11,

and lets 7 go 5 presses in 13 and 15, and lets 13 go; presses in 16 and 18, and lets 16 go; presses in 19, and holding it in he applies the magnet to the plug l', withdraws the plug, and then lets 19 go.

The two plugs 2 1l having now been withdrawn and the main bolts E E E E released from the stops F in consequence of the slides 5 11 15 18 holding back the blocks K K K K,

the operator attaches the end of the j -hook 1 of the lever I through the undercut slot o in the retractingplug o, and, forcing the power end of the said lever toward the said lock, raises the said plug o, and thus withdraws the four main bolts E from their sockets in the frame of the safe, when he lets slide 20 go, and thus sustains the said four main bolts in the unlocked condition required and opens the door. The ends of the two springbolts J J being together a sufiicient support for the plug o, the lever I may be detached.

In order to lock the door after the safe has been closed, the operator proceeds as follows: Pressing in slides 20 and 19, he drops or pushes in plug 1', and then lets 19 go; presses in 2, and lets it go 5 pressesin 7 and then lets it go; presses in 13, and then lets it go; presses in 16, and then lets it go, and then inserts plug 2', after which lhe presses inl and 3 in succession, and lets 1 go 5 presses in 12, and then lets itgo; presses in 9 and then 6, and lets 9 go; presses in 8 and then lets it go; presses in 9, and then lets it go; and finally he presses in 1, and then lets it go, thus securing the plugs 1' and 2' and bringing all the other interior parts of the lock to their original positions.

A small loose brass'or silver plate, Fig. 9, which is intended to accompany each of these locks and may be conveniently carried in ones pocket, has the necessary movements of the slides appropriate to its particular lock indicated bynumbers corresponding with the numbers on the slides, or directly over them, as shown in this instance, the single dot under a number on the plate indicating that the slide so numbered is to be pushed in, and the two dots together under a figure or number indicating that the slide so numbered is to be let gonl A. M. means apply magnet; D.P. means draw plug; Dp. P. means drop or insert plug, and A. L. means apply lever.

The lever I and its magnet may be hung up in the office where the safe is located.

lt will be observed, on inspecting the slides in Fig. 1, that when the main bolts E are withdrawn they may be kept permanently back, also, 'by pressing in the slides 2 7 13 16, and thus letting the four sets of sliding stops F drop into holes made for them in the said bolts E. (See dotted lines.) But this is entirely unnecessary, as the two springbolts J' J are amply sufficient for the purpose, as described.

It will now be readily seen that the four main bolts E ofthe lock cannot be withdrawn from the usual sockets in the body of the safe, when locked, Without rst withdrawing the four sets of stops F from their connections with the said bolts, and that the said stops cannot be withdrawn therefrom without first releasing their respective drawing-slides 5 11 15 1S by pushing in -the interlocking slides 2 7 13 16. (See Fig. 1.)

1t will also be readily seen that the said bolts E still cannot be withdrawn from the sockets until the retracting-plug o is released by withdrawing the spring-bolts J' J and rackbolt J by operating the slides 19 and 20, and that even then the said main bolts E cannot be withdrawn Without removing the two central plugs, 2' and 1', and that these cannot be withdrawn for the p'urpose without -rst operating in the manner already described all the other slides shown in Fig. 1. Nor can the lock be closed or the safe-door be relocked without, by the locking operation described, restoring the slides, in the order specified, to their normal positions. (Shown in Fig. 1.)

The slides in different locks of this construction are intended to be numbered in different orders, so that a guide-plate, Fig. 9, of one lock will not answer as a guide-plate for any other lock, and as every part ofthe interior of the lock is entirely invisible and also inaccessible, except through the single' or only opening which is lled closely by the Vflush plug 2', which is madeof hardened steel, as'

well as the ends of the slides, it .will be impossible, without consuming more time than a night will afford, for a burglar or thief to either pick the lock or experimentally to ascertain the order and make the necessary movements of the slides whereby the withdrawal of the ush plug 2' can only be eifected, and the safedoor being made undrillable, as it should be, it will be also seen that a penetration cannot be made for the purpose of exploding the lock or blowing it off the door.

Having thus fully described my improved lock for safes, what I claim as new therein of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is confined to the following, viz:

l. The interlocking spring-slides 2 and 5, 7 and l1, 13 and 15, 16 and 18, constructed and arranged in relation to each other and to the sliding blocks K K K K, which are respectively connected to the sliding spring-stops F FF F, substantially in the manner described, for the purpose of operating the said stops and thus fixing and releasing lthe said main bolts E E E E of the lock, as described.

2. Securing the flush plug 2' in the plate B of the lock by means of the interlocking springits retracted position while holding back the four main bolts E, as described,I the retracting-plug o by means of the two spring-bolts J J', cam j, and spring-slide 20, the same being constructed and arranged to operate together substantially as described.

ALFRED' A. OAT.

Witnesses:

BENJ. MoRIsoN, WM. H. MonrsoN. 

